Mad Doctor No. 9

In the blink of an eye, a year has passed.

Early that morning, by the Heavenly Lake, Wang Tian was practicing his boxing as the sun rose. His movements were slow and fluid, like flowing water, but each punch produced a sonic boom. He became more and more excited as he practiced, letting out a long roar before punching a boulder beside him.

boom!

The boulder shattered into pieces and turned into dust.

Wang Tian withdrew his fist and glanced at his hand. His skin had become smooth, and the scars on his face had faded considerably. Although there was no fluctuation of true energy, the power contained within his body was in no way inferior to that of a Grandmaster of Internal Energy.

Most importantly, over the past year, he has read countless medical books, greatly improving his medical skills. With his current skills, he can heal the sick and save lives, or he can kill without leaving a trace.

"It's time to go out," Wang Tian muttered to himself, looking south.

A year has passed; it's time to settle accounts with the Dark Temple.

As he packed his bags, Wang Tian hung the complete token of the Dragon Gate Society's headquarters around his neck. The jade pendant emanated warmth, seemingly responding to his sentiments. Before descending the mountain, he first went to see the Great Shaman Su Mu.

Su Mu patted him on the shoulder, "Since you've made up your mind, you have to stick to it. Remember, the way of medicine and martial arts is not about killing, but about saving lives. Use your own strength to protect what belongs to you."

"Your disciple will remember this." Wang Tian bowed solemnly.

After bidding farewell to everyone, Wang Tian walked south alone. He didn't greet Elder Xu or the others. The new leader of the Dragon Gate Society was here to clean house and settle old scores.

Donghai City is the first stop. According to information obtained from Lin Wan, the Dark Temple has an important stronghold in China.

The train sped past, the scenery outside the window constantly changing. Wang Tian closed his eyes and regulated his breathing, already having a plan in mind.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes and looked diagonally opposite him. A middle-aged man wearing sunglasses and holding a newspaper was sitting there. But Wang Tian noticed that the man's knuckles were thick, and there were calluses on the back of his hands, indicating that he often handled knives. Moreover, the man's aura seemed somewhat familiar.

Wang Tian remained expressionless, pretending to be asleep, but secretly observing. Sure enough, when the train arrived at the station, the man stood up, got off the train, and as he passed by Wang Tian, ​​he discreetly slipped a note into his hand.

After Wang Tian and the others started the car, they opened the note, which read:

"The Ghost Face is in the East China Sea; his target is Penglai Island. Be careful."

The handwriting was somewhat messy, but Wang Tian recognized it as Lin Qingfeng's handwriting! He suddenly looked out the window, but the man in sunglasses was no longer on the platform.

Wang Tian said softly, "Penglai Immortal Island."

This is a small island off the coast of Donghai City, said to hold relics of immortals. Why would the Dark Palace go there?

Regardless, the plan has changed. Wang Tian's gaze sharpened. The Ghost Mask is in the East China Sea, which is even better. This time, he will personally remove the mask.

The train continued its journey, carrying Wang Tian towards another battlefield. This time, he would return to the mortal realm as a practitioner of both medicine and martial arts. It was time to raise the banner of the Dragon Gate Society once more.

Donghai City is the largest seaport city in China.

As evening fell, Wang Tian walked out of the station.

The sea breeze carries a salty and damp scent, and in the distance, the lights are bright.

He was wearing a drab gray jacket and carrying a canvas bag, looking no different from any other backpacker.

But upon closer inspection, one would find that he walks steadily, his eyes are as sharp as a hawk's, and his gaze sweeps across the surroundings with a professional alertness.

Following the instructions on the note Lin Qingfeng gave him, Wang Tian found a small hotel near the train station and settled in.

The room was simple but clean, and the window offered a view of most of the harbor.

After putting down his luggage, Wang Tian took out some things from his backpack: silver needles, medicine bottles, a notebook, and the token of the Dragon Gate Society's Grand Master.

The first thing he did was check the condition of the silver needles.

This needle was reforged by the great shaman Sumu. It is thinner and tougher than the original meteorite needle, and its whole body has a light blue luster, so it is called the "Ice Soul Needle".

There were also the pills he personally refined, including hemostatic powder, antidote pills, and mind-altering incense, as well as three precious "life-extending pills," which were made from the remaining snow ginseng roots and could save lives.

The notes are his understanding of the "True Scripture of Medicine and Martial Arts". Over the past year, he has written down many of his insights in them.

There's also the headquarters' token.

The jade pendant gleamed with a warm luster. When Wang Tian held it in his hand, he felt a faint resonance—as if something in the East Sea was calling to him.

"There's also a branch of the Dragon Gate Society in the East China Sea..." Wang Tian recalled what the leader had said, "If I remember correctly, it should be Dragon Gate Alley in the old city."

He plans to go tomorrow.

That night, Wang Tian didn't do nothing either.

He changed into dark clothes, then quietly left the hotel and walked around the old streets of Donghai City.

The old town has many buildings from the Republican era, with cobblestone streets and sycamore trees, creating a picturesque scene against the backdrop of surrounding high-rise buildings.

Following the memory in his mind, Wang Tian found an alley called "Dragon Gate Alley".

The alley was narrow, with mottled brick walls on both sides, and extended all the way to an abandoned courtyard.

A rusty iron lock hung on the gate, and the plaque read "Longmen Guild Hall" in large characters.

Wang Tian glanced around and, seeing that no one was paying attention to him, leaped over the courtyard wall.

The courtyard was overgrown with weeds, and the main house had collapsed halfway, but the side rooms were intact.

Wang Tian pushed open the door and entered. The room was empty, with only some old tables and chairs, the floor covered in dust, and cobwebs everywhere.

He walked to the corner of the wall and, using the technique taught by the dragon head, struck it seven times in succession.

Click!

The floor tiles were moved aside, revealing a hidden compartment inside.

Wang Tian opened the metal box. Inside was not some secret manual, but a stack of yellowed letters and a few silver coins.

This letter is a report submitted by the East China Sea branch leader to the main headquarters. The most recent one was seven years ago, a month before the Dragon Gate Society incident.

The letter stated: "...Recently, there have been frequent visits by Japanese merchant ships to and from Japan's port, carrying goods suspected to be weapons. We have secretly dispatched people to investigate and have discovered connections to the Ye family in the area. Ye Zhenhai, the third son of the Ye family, seems to be very close to the Japanese, and I am worried that he might commit treason..."

Master Ye's real name is Ye Zhenhai.

Wang Tian continued reading: "Last night, I followed Ye Zhenhai to Penglai Pavilion and saw him secretly meeting with a man wearing a black mask. The masked man's aura was extremely strange, unlike that of an ordinary person. My subordinates tried to investigate, but were discovered, seriously injured, and fled. I fear I won't live much longer, so I'm leaving this letter hoping headquarters will be extra careful..."

The letter stopped here, still stained with bright red blood.

A thought flashed through Wang Tian's mind: "Penglai Pavilion..."